Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Malawi
Malawi: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 24.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi, 2001–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi is 24.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.0% on the previous year and up 58.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi peaked at 24.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.9%, in 2011.
That places Malawi 17th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 23.2% | — |
| 2002 | 23.4% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 24.1% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 23.2% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 21.5% | -7.3% |
| 2006 | 19.3% | -10.2% |
| 2007 | 17.5% | -9.3% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | -9.1% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 13.9% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 15.5% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 16.3% | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 18.3% | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 19.9% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 20.4% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 20.9% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 22.9% | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 24.5% | +7.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 24.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 23.6%, 1.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 24.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.8%, 1.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.3% | 14.7% | 24.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 13.9% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.7% | 19.9% | 24.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 14 Solomon Islands 27.0% compare
- 15 Sierra Leone 25.3% compare
- 16 Congo 25.0% compare
- 18 Gabon 23.3% compare
- 19 Sao Tome and Principe 23.0% compare
- 20 Rwanda 22.6% compare
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi was 24.5% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.9% in 2011.
- How does Malawi rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Malawi ranks 17th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.